Process and apparatus for impregnating wood and other porous materials with preservative liquid.



H. S. LOUD. Piocss AND APPARATUS ros |MPRE`GNAT|NG woon AND OTHER Poaous Mmmm PREsEm/Alva LIQUID.

WITH

@939 M @HazMat/14 @Miren zum HENRY S. LOUD, F NEW YORK, N. "il". l

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ITJIPREGNATNG VUOD ANL?) O''IER PURUUS WITH ERESERVATVE Lil).

.Application tiled February 9, 191.

, wood and other porous materials with a prevservative liquid, its object being to provide a process, and apparatus for carrying out such process, adapted to reduce to the minimum the gross amount of preservative liquid necessarily used, and also to economize in time, labor, and power employed; and consists generally in treating groups of materials successively inea three-told cycle of retorts, whereby fluids and the stored power or energy in one retort is transferred to the next retort of the cycle, and in other improved steps and features hereinafter shown, described and claimed.

The accompanying drawing forming part of this specification illust pates diagrammatically an apparatus suitable for carrying out my improved process. In said drawing A, B, and C, respectively represent three similar retorts in which the groups of railway ties or other materials, are placed for treatment, and are then hermetically sealed. These retorts must be strong enough to withstand the maximum internal pressure required, as well as the crushing stress of the atmosphere when subjected to a vacuum. The pipes 1, 2, and 3., controlled respectively by valves i, 5, and 6,; connect the bottoms of the respective retorts through the common pipe E with thel suction end of the pump D, which pipe E leads to a source of preservative oil supply not shown, and is provided with a cutoff valve 7. The pum D is preferably placed so that the liquid from any retort can flow into it by gravity. G, is the discharge pipe from the Vpump D, and is connected with the several retorts by the' pipes 8, 9, and 10, having cut-o1l-l valves Y11, 12 and 13, respectively. The pipe G is also connected by the pipe 14, having a cuto valve 15, with the oil supply pipe lll i llti, semi no. weer.

between its cut-od valve i and the source of supply. The pipes 16, 1?, and 18, hav

ing cut-oI valves 19, 20, and Q1, lead reaped y tively to the top of the retorts A, B, and C. Branch pipes 22, 23, and 24, having cutlnlin valves 26, 27,`and 2S, respectively, connect the pipes 1G, 17, and 18, through the common pipe 25, provided with relief valve 3,

which is set to open at the maximum preda termined pressure to be attained in the re torts /in carrying out the process as herein after described, with nozzles 29, 30 and respectively provided with 'cutpil' valves 3&2', 33, and 34, and enteringl the open ends the pipes 18, 17, and 16, inclosed in the mani-- fold H. K is an air compressor connected by means of the pipe 35, having cutoff valve 36, withthe pipe 25, and also through by-pass pipe having a autori? valve till with the pipe 25 on the other side 'i l the valve 37. rlhe bottoms of the reterts lil, and (3 are also connected through their out let pipes 1f, 2 and 3, and the branch pipes and air compressor are supplied with steam, 1'

etc., as is also customary.

lThe apparatus is adapted for use 'with any process in which compressed air, preservative under-pressure, and vacuum, are employed to carry out the treatment el? the materials, but is especiallyv designed and equipped `utor carrying out my improved process as hereinafter described.

My improved process and the method el? operating the same may be described 1bllows: A group of the materials, ter en ample, a train of cars loaded with railway ties, is placed in each of the retorts and the doors of the retorts then closed. The valves 7, 47,and 19, then being opened, the pump D is started, drawingpreservative oil from' the source of supply and forcing it through pipes Gr, e6, #14:, git, manifold H, and pipe 16, to the retort A, the oil being diuscharpedl in suchmanner as to thoroughly drench the ties. The amount of preservative thus conveyed into the retort should preferablybe in excess of the net ainoun-t o preservative retained in the ties when the treatment is completed, and is indicated by means of' a pet cock 48 near the bottom of the retort, through which the preservative accumulating iii the retort will flow when it reaches the predetermined level. The valve 47 and pet cock 48 are then closed, and the valve 41 is opened permitting the flow of the preservative from the retort A into the manifold itl. rlhe valve.3G in pipe 35 and 'the valve 34 in nozzle 31, are then opened, and the compressor 1t'. started to force air through the pipes 35, 25, and nozzle 31, into the pipe 16, thereby carrying preservative from the manifold H through the pipe 16 and open valve 19 into the retort A, thus re establishing the dienching operation under progressively increasing air pressure in the retort vuntil the maximum pressure desired has been attained, the liquid circulating from the retort through the pipes 1, 88, 45, manifold l'and pipe 16, as long as the air ows from the compressor' K. The air compressor is then cut otl' byclosing the valve 36, the valves 34, and 19, also heilig closed.

lin the meantime the ties on the train of cars in the retort B have been drenched with preserva-tive in the same manner as the ties in the retort A were preliminarily drenched, the valves 7, 47, and 20, having been opened and the oil from the pump D flowing through the pipes G, 46, 44, 45, manifold H, pipe 17, into the top of the retort B, and the pump then cut od, as above describet, by the closing of the valve 47. The valves in the pipes 8, 22, and nozzle 30., being then opened, bil is forced by the pump D 4through the pipes G and 8 linto the retort A forcing out the air contained therein through the pipes 15, 25, nozzle 30, ipe 17, carrying oil from the manifold H into the retort B and circulating the same through it as above de scribed, the full pressure of the air being maintained in the retort A by the valve 3 being set to open at the maximum air pressure in the retort A. rlhe iow of air from A to B continues the drenching operation already begun in B. When all of the air is `expelled-from the retort A, completing the drenching operation in B, and the ties in A are completely submerged bythe preservativeliquid, the valve 26 is closed preventing the outflow of the oil vfrom the retort A, the continued operation of the pump D forcing ladditional preservative into the retort A untilthe maximum4 hydraulic pressure desired has been attained to secure the desired final impregnation of the tiesl The valve 11 in the branch pipe 8 is then closed shutting off the'fuitlier How of oil from the pum D. Meanwhile the preliminary drcnching oi the ties in the retort C has been completed by the forcing of the preservative by the p ump D through the pipes G, 46, 44, 45, manifold H, and pipe 18.

The valve 4 in pipe 1, valve 12 in pipe 9, valve 27 in pipe 23, valve 32 in pipe 25, are then opened and the operation of the pump D serves to draw the accumulated surplus preservative from retort A through the pipes l and E, and discharge the same through G, and 9, into the retort B to displace all of its contained air, which flows from the retort B through the pipes 17, 23, 25, relief valve 37, nozzle 29 and pipe 18 to the retort C carrying with it preservative for the'coiiw tinued drenching of the ties therein under incicasing atmospheric pressure the vpreservative circulating from the retort (l through the pipe 3, branch pipe 40, open valve 43, pipes 44 and 45 to the manifold H. When the retort B ,has been completely filled with the preservative thevalve 27 is closed, and-additional preservative forced into the retort under increased pressurev by the pump through the pipes G and 9, as above described 'with reference to the retort A. The emptying .of the retort A of oil, as above described, by means of the pump D, createsa vacuum in A which is maintained as long as is necessary, and then the valveA 4 is closed and the vacuum in 'A is broken l by openingfthe valve 49 to the atmosphere.

`The door of the retort is then opened, the

treated ties are withdrawn, 'and another' train'of untreated ties introduced,.and'the retort again closed and the ties preliminarily drenched with preservative, and the drenching continued by means of compressed air discharged from the retort C, as it is filled with preservative from the retort B.

When desired the fresh charges of ties in the several retorts may be subjected to a vacuum created by the pump D before they are drenched, in order to secure deeper initial penetration of the preservative when air pressure is applied. u

In case a modified process is desired to be carried out, omitting the drenching operation entirely, and merely subjecting the tics to compressed air, and preservative under increased pressure, the valves 4, 11,. and'41 are closed and valves 51 and 26 are opened connecting the air compressor K through pipes-50, 25, 22, and 16, -with the retort A, and K is operated until the desired air 'pressure has been attained. Then the valves 51 and 26 are closed cutting ott' the compressor', and valve 11 opened and preservative is-foi'ced into thc retort by means of the pipes G and 8, in the manner previously vdescribed, untilv the .desired hydraulic prcssul and then to a vacuum,`

pump D throughgthe 4 neuestepieted, air is admitted through the valve 49, the door of the retort opened, the treated removed, and a new charge introduced, after which the same operation is carried out as before.

ln the progressive carrying out of the process in the several retorts, additional preservative is drawn from the soilrce of supply through the pipe E, and added'to the i residual amount of preservative carried i'ioni each retort to the next, to complete the amount required for the impregnation of the charge in said second retort.

it is obvious from the foregoing that the maximum amount of preservative oil in use in carrying out my improved process, is the contents of one retort, plus the amount used in the preliminary drenching ofthe charge in anothe;` retort, and with the completion o'tthe tre itinent of each charge of ties', only an amoun equal to thatwhich has been absorbed in :he impregnation of such charge drawn troni he source oi oil supply, as contrasted witll ther methods in which the entire aii'iount drained from a retort has to be returned to the reservoir, and a new full amount drawn from such reservoir for the vreatrnent ci the next in the retort.

is aise obvious that the original charge compressed air is utilized by beingvtransiferred from retort to retort, no further super operation oi the compressor being reexcept to restore the maximum prescas-ecit any leakage of air from the systeem tlonsequently by means ci my improved process carried 'out by the described appa- '.i s manifest economies are secured in the iig of the oil, in maintaining the workr supply ci? compressed air, and in time consumed in. the process, in that three ci rges oit ties are simultaneously operated upon by one charge only of both oil and pressed air. @their minor economies in time and labor, are made possible by son ot the intercommunication ot the elements of the apparatus in the cycle, and the interdependent operations or steps oi' the process. thus described my invention, what 7i claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. The method ot impregnating wood with a iiquid preservative, consisting in arranging the articles in groups in a three- 'told cycle, then Vdrenching the first group with the preservative under subatmospheric 'or atmospheric pressure and continuing the drenching under lsuperatinospberic pressure, then to submergence in the preservative under increasing hydraulic pressure only, and then to atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure only, the submerging action of the reseri'ative causing superatinospheric presupon the articles in the second group,

pheric, superatmospheric, and hydraulic pressures, successively, which consists in subjecting the articles to such treatment in a three-'fold cycle, the coincident operations in the several cycles being different, the completion of the operation in each cycle initiating, and carrying through a like operation in the succeeding cycle. 4

3. The method of impi'egiiating railway ties, or other porous articles, with a preservative liquid, which consists in manipulating successively similar groups of ties in a three-fold cycle, subjectingthem to boinpressed air, and then to submergence in the preservative liquid with progressively increasing hydraulic pressure and subjecting them to a vacuum by withdrawing the immersing preservative, the operation of immersiiig one group causing the subjection of the second to compressed air and the withdi'awal of the liquid from the first group causing submergence of the second and application of compressed air to the third, and like operations upon the third causing like operations upon a new substitute group for the first.

4. The method of impregnating railway ties and the like with a liquid prescriptive, which consists in first arranging suoli ties in successive groups in a three-fold cycle, then drenching the rst group with preservative liquid at 'atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure, then continuing the drenching thereof with progressively increasing air pressure without submergence, .then submerging it in the, preservative and substituting progressively,\incieasing hydraulic pressure for the 'air pressure, thenwithdrawing the preservative and subjecting it to atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure, the compressed air being transferred to the second group by the submergence of the first, and the preservative withdrawn from the first group being transferred to submerge and impregnato the second, and to force the compressed air to the third, and so on to substitutes of the several groups.

5. ln connection with the treatment of railway ties and similar articles with a liquid preservative, whereby the article is first drenched with the preservative, then silbjected to progressively increasing hydraulic pressure of the preservative only, then to the withdrawal of the excess preservativei and reduction of pressure to or below atmospheric, the ihirther process, which consists in lll@ lin

treating lsuch articles in a three-fold cycle, each one in the cycle being subjected to the fluid discharge trom the preceding one of the cycle.

6. In the treatment of railway ties with a liquid preseryative, whereby they are first drenched with the preservative under subatmospheric orl atmospheric pressure, then further drenched at increasing superatmospherie pressures, then subjected to progressively increasing hydraulic pressure of the preservative only, and then to atmospheric or subatmospheric air pressure only, the method which consists in arranging such ties in similar groups in a three-told cycle, and subjecting each group in the cycle successively to the fluid discharges from the preceding group.

7. The method of impregnating railway ties with a lliquid preservative in a threefold cycle of air-tight retorts, which consists in first drenching the contents of the first retort with the preservative, then subjecting the same to progressively increasing air pressure while continuing the drenching operation, then preliminarily drenching the contents of the second retort in the cycle with the preservative, then continuing the drenching operation under progressi vely increasing-air pressure' by injecting the preservative by means ot' compressed air forced from the first retort by the subin'ergence of the contents of the first retort with the preservative, and progressively increasing the hydraulic pressure in the first retort, then withdrawing the surplus preservative from the first retort and conveying the same to the secondA to submerge its contents while the contents of the third retort are being initially drenched with oil, and subjected te air pressure by the compressed air forced from the second retort by the submergence of its contents, then withdrawing'the treated articles yfrom the first retort and recharging it with untreated articles, and then subjecting them to the fluid discharges from the,

third retort, in the manner described.

and substituting progressively 'increasing hydraulic pressure of the preservative for the air pressure, and meanwhile transferring the air-from the first Vtothe second retort to carry on-the drenching operation, meanwhile drenching the contentsof the third retort with the preservative, then transferring the preservative submerging the contents of' the first retort to submerge those of the second retort, and reducing the pressure upon the contents ot' the first retort to or below atmospheric by withdrawing the excess preservative therefrom and transferring to the second retort and thereby forcing the air froml the second retort to the third to continue the drenching operation on the contents of' the third retort, then substituting untreated ties for the treated ones iu the first retort, then drenching them with the preservative, then in like manner transferring the compressed air from the third retort. in, the cycle to it, and continuing the same series of steps'a's before, substituting untreated ties for the treated ones.

9. Apparatus for impregnating wood with a liquid preservative, comprising in combination, aI cycle of three similar airtight retorts each adapted to receive a charge of wood, interconnecting conduits placing said retorts operatively in a circulating series, sources of air pressure, of liquid preservative under pressure, and means for producing subatmospheric pressure, all in communication with said conduits and adapted to so conduct the tlow of the fluid as to subject. the contents of said .retorts successively to air pressure, then to liquid preservative under pressure and then to subat- `mosphericpressure, substantially as described.`

10. In combination, a cycle of three similar air-tight retorts adapted each to rcceive a charge of' wood, a sourceof supply oi2 preservative liquid under pressure, a vacuum producing means, and interconnecting conduits whereby the contents of said retorts may be subjected successively to drenching by thej'neservative liquidunder atmospheric or `subatmospheric pressure, then to further drenching under superatmospheric pressure, then to submergence in the preservative liquid an'd hydraulic pressure only, then togatmospheric or subatmos-- plierie pressure only, then to the withdrawal et the submerging liquid and then te the subjecting otl the said material to a vacuum, thev fluids being conveyed from each retort to the next in the cycle to subject its contents te like tr ,atment. i

l1. Apparatus for in'iprcgnating wood, comprising three similar retorts adapted to be charged with the wood to be treated, vacuum producing apparatus, an air coi..- pressoig a supply of preservative liquid, means for applying pressure to said liquid, a series of conduits interconnecting all said elements in a continuous circulating system adapted to subject the 4material .placed in said retorts successively in any desired order te atmospheric, subatmospheric, or superatmospheric pressure and to the pressure of said liquid, the coincident operations in lili? nenas-ee said retorts being different, and each being caused by the completing of the eorresponding operation in the preceding retort.

l2. In combination, a cycle of three similar retorts having valve-controlled interconnecting conduits, a source of preservative oil supply, a combination oil and vacuum pump having'.valve-controlled communication with said oil supply and with said retorts, a manifold oil container, and a compressed air pump having valve-controlled operative connections through said container with each ot' said retorts, substantially as set forth.

13. In combination, a cycle of three similar retorts, valve-controlled conduits interconnecting said retorts and permitting the discharge of the fluid contents of each into the next one of the cycle, a source of oil supply, an oil pump connected therewith and also'with each of said retorts, valveconand each of said retorts and adapted to u trolled connections between said oil sup liver into the selected retort oil Vfor the i tial drenching and for linal submergence t the contents, and for draining the oil con tents from the retort and producing vacuum therein, an air compressor, and a, manifold oil container operatively interposed betiveen said compressor and each oi? e 3 :et

said retorts.

1+i. rl`he method of impregnatingI porous materials with a liquid which consists in carrying out the treatment upon similar groups of the materials in a three-fold cycle and transferring the unused fluids and stored energy operating upon one group the next in the cycle to perform a like operation thereon.

Signed at New York, 'county and State oi ne N ew York, this second da)7 of Febry, .lilith HENRY S. LUUD. 

